Andalusian campaign (1133)

Andalusian campaign (1133)
Part of Reconquista

Map of the Iberian Peninsula in 1144, showing the Leonese campaign
DateJanuary–September 1133
Location
Al-Andalus, Almoravid Empire (present-day Spain)
Result Leonese victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Leon
Kingdom of Castile		 Almoravid Empire
Commanders and leaders
Alfonso VII
Zafadola
Rodrigo González de Lara		 Unknown
Strength
Unknown Low
Casualties and losses
None or low Unknown

The Andalusian campaign[1] in 1133 was led by Alfonso VII of León and Castile with the support of Zafadola, also known as "Sayf al-Dawla", and Rodrigo González de Lara. The campaign was a success, although Alfonso did not keep any cities.

Background

In 1130, the Almoravids entered the lands of Toledo and captured Aceca [es], killing all the Christians they found and imprisoning its governor, Tello Fernández.[2][3] Three years later, Alfonso VII of León held a council proposing a campaign in Almoravid territory to avenge that attack and others that had been carried out in previous years. All those present agreed and, in that same year, he began his campaign accompanied by Zafadola and Rodrigo González de Lara.[1]

Campaign

The army consisted of many horsemen, archers and infantry. In September 1133, Alfonso VII left Toledo and crossed the Guadalquivir,[4] where he divided his army into two: one commanded by him and the other commanded by Rodrigo González de Lara, probably because they did not have enough water for everyone.[1] Alfonso went through Portus Regis and Rodrigo González through the pass of Despeñaperros. After two weeks, both armies met up at the castle of Gallello, near Santa Elena, where they would find enough food to feed their armies and horses.[5] They plundered and occupied the lands of Córdoba, Carmona and Seville, although they did not take any of these cities. Alfonso burned all the crops and cut down all the olive trees and vineyards because it was harvest time. In that area, his army would attack several cities, taking several captives and loot. He then headed for Jerez de la Frontera and Cádiz, which he would take and keep for a short time until he burned and sacked them.[5] The Almoravids made little effort to stop Alfonso and did not put up much resistance.[6] They returned passing from Talavera and reached Toledo in September of the same year, with a big number of captives and loot.[4]

Aftermath

This campaign proved to be a complete success.[7] Alfonso started another campaign in 1138, where he would plunder the lands of Jaén, Úbeda, Baeza and Andújar.[8] Between 1146 and 1147, he besieged Córdoba and conquered Almería.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Smith 1988, p. 155.
  2. ^ Lomax 1978, p. 87.
  3. ^ Barton & Fletcher 2000, p. 210.
  4. ^ a b Reilly 2016, p. 41.
  5. ^ a b Smith 1988, p. 156.
  6. ^ Smith 1988, p. 157.
  7. ^ Astray 1979, p. 122.
  8. ^ Picatoste 1892, p. 102.
  9. ^ Barton 2002, p. 17.
  10. ^ Richards 2010, p. 91.

Bibliography

  • Reilly, Bernard F. (11 November 2016). The Kingdom of León-Castilla Under King Alfonso VII, 1126-1157. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-1-5128-0612-0.
  • Astray, Manuel Recuero (1979). Alfonso VII, Emperador: El imperio hispánico en el siglo XII (in Spanish). Centro de Estudios e Investigación "San Isidoro," Caja de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad, Archivo Histórico Diocesano. ISBN 978-84-00-04503-6.
  • Smith, Colin (1988). Christians and Moors in Spain: "reprinted with corrections, 1993" (in English and Latin). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-85668-411-1.
  • Barton, Simon (18 July 2002). The Aristocracy in Twelfth-Century León and Castile. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-89406-7.
  • Richards, D. S. (January 2010). The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil fi'l-Ta'rikh. Part 3. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-6952-4.
  • Lomax, Derek W. (1978). The Reconquest of Spain. Longman. ISBN 978-0-582-50209-3.
  • Barton, Simon; Fletcher, Richard (2000). The World of el Cid: Chronicles of the Spanish Reconquest. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0-7190-5226-2.
  • Picatoste, Felipe (1892). Compendio de la historia de españa.